Bleed Just to Know You're Alive
by IvoryQueen
Summary: Between his sister, his parents, and now Kyrie, Nero's world is crashing down around him and it just doesn't feel real. Like the song says, "when everything feels like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know you're alive." AU! DxN! Full summary inside.
1. Bleed Just to Know You're Alive

**Bleed Just to Know You're Alive**

**Chapter 1: Bleed Just to Know You're Alive.**

**Summary:**

**Between his sister, his parents, and now Kyrie, Nero's world is crashing down around him and it just doesn't feel real. Like the song says, "when everything feels like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know you're alive." But what happens when an ambitious young Dante finds out about Nero's unstable behavior? AU! DxN**

**Warnings:**

**Nero x Dante and vice versa, if you're not into that, don't read it. Language. Cutting. Character death. Attempted suicide.**

**Author's Note:**

**I love Dante and Nero together so I can never help but to make them a couple. Also this is my first published character death and attempted suicide. Tell me how I do with it. Oh, and this piece was inspired by the song "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing here but the story and an OC or two! (that includes the song!)**

**And on that note, enjoy!**

-O-o-O-

To be honest, the jock wasn't really known for his philanthropy. If anything, the eleventh grade quarterback was known for his astounding natural talent with a football. He was the most popular guy at Capulet High School with the male population for that reason. And with his shinning white smile, his gorgeous silvery white hair, those enticing icy blue eyes, and his flawless marble pale skin, he could win over any girl he wanted.

However, Dante Alighieri and his identical mathlete twin, Vergil, weren't the only two at the school with that color set. Nero Angelo, a tenth grader had the same white hair and fair skin but his eyes were a darker blue, azure and almost oceanic. But he was in a totally different caste. Dante was popular, Vergil was nerdy, and Nero was skater bordering on emo. Well, more than bordering as Dante was finding out. Now like I said before: Dante wasn't known for his philanthropy. Yet here he found himself helping out some poor cry for help of a punk bitch student.

But this confrontation wasn't exactly intended. You see, while Dante and Nero were on complete opposite ends of the social spectrum, there's always one place in any school where all walks of life emerge: classes.

Nero and Dante had been in the same chemistry class since the beginning of the year and had been lab partners for the same amount of time, which, while both reluctant at first, brought the teenage boys surprisingly close.

"Dante, you'd say we're friends, right?" Nero leaned over to his lab partner and whispered. The two were both fairly good at chemistry and thus worked fairly quickly which usually left them time at the end of class to talk.

"Yeah, absolutely." the junior whispered back, nodding his response.

"And you seem pretty smooth with the ladies . . ." the sophomore continued cautiously.

"Please never say that again, but yes, I like to think of myself as such." Dante responded calmly.

"Can I ask you for some advice?" Nero whispered.

"Sure I guess."

"So you know Kyrie?" the sophomore approached generally.

Dante had often noticed the auburn haired cheerleader at practices. The beautiful young girl had light brown eyes, and milky skin. She wore the slightly revealing white cheer uniform well. However, the sophomore seemed a little reserved for Dante's taste, she seemed like a bit of an ice queen, so that was all Dante'd done, noticed her. "I've seen her around." he responded casually.

"I live for that girl," the teen exaggerated, "How do I get her attention?"

"Ask her out?" Dante retorted as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

That was at about 1:00 that afternoon.

At about 3:00, Kyrie had cheer practice so Nero decided to go and take Dante's advice. After the girls were finished cheering he approached the huddle.

"Hey, Nemo, I mean Emo, I mean Nero!" Called Trish, tripping over her words more than she ever would her own two feet. "Sorry!"

He shrugged it off politely. He could tell it was by accident, there was too much apology in her voice for the comment to have been malicious. And besides, she wasn't wrong. He cut. He wore his hair straight and at an average length. His wardrobe consisted of a band t-shirt from Skillet or We the King, Three Doors Down or Thirty Seconds to Mars, something of the nature; a pair of black, navy, or grey skinny jeans; and always the same tattered and torn and color worn thin black sweat shirt that was way too big for him. By any stereotype or prejudice Nero was emo, but what defined that most of all was that he cut. But he didn't really mind when people pointed it out. He was almost proud of it. When someone pointed it out, they noticed. It was a way to remind people that he had problems and didn't want to deal with their crap. In a way it was a warning, but to those who cared about him, it was a serious issue. Kyrie was one of those people.

"Nero!" the auburn called throwing her arms open and running into him for maximum hug.

He toppled back a bit from the sudden embrace, but at the same time was completely expecting it.

"Hey Kyrie." he commented still trying to shake the semi-shock of the impact.

"What're you doing here?" the cheerleader bounced clearly still hyper from practice.

"I came to ask you something. Actually," Nero rubbed his nose a little, a nervous habit he'd unintentionally formed when he was flustered or embarrassed, leaving the 'actually' lingering between thoughts, "I was wondering if you'd go out with me on Friday? Like on a date?" he asked hopefully. He held his breath. This could go one of two ways: she could have the same feelings for him as he had for her and they could be together or, considering how long they'd known each other, she could see him more as a brother then a boyfriend and reject him entirely in the nicest way possible. Judging by the pained look on her face, it would be the latter.

"Nero, you know I love you. And we've been really close for a long time," she began hesitantly. Here it was. Here was the but; there was always a but. Here's where she rejected him. "But, I've known you since we were five. You're as close to me as Credo. Do you have any idea how weird it would feel for me to be dating someone I consider my brother? You're a great guy Nero, so please don't take this the wrong way but, I think I'm not the one for you."

The sixteen year old could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. They burned and his throat began to itch as he fought them from falling. "Yeah." he retorted calmly, trying desperately to maintain composure, "Yeah, no I totally get it." he assured falsely looking down at his feet in an attempt to hide his cracking facade. "That's cool. So . . . Right, I'll see you tomorrow." He said waving and turning to leave.

"M'kay, oh and Nero?" she grabbed his right wrist to keep him from leaving just yet, "Please, your wrist is just beginning to heal." she begged, inspecting the appendage she held. He tensed because he knew where this was going. "Don't cut."

He ripped his arm away, perhaps a little too forcefully. "Yeah, okay." he said hardly turning his head to face her. Then he turned back in the direction he was going, plunged his hand in his sweat shirt pocket and fingered the pocket knife he always carried with him. He didn't care about Kyrie's plea, this hurt. And cutting numbed that pain.

-O-o-O-

**Author's Note:**

**Just for the record, I read Dante's Inferno, I HATE Dante Alighieri! With a burning passion! So I hold Dante to a much higher standard. I was originally just going to call him Dante Sparda, as cliche as that is, but I had to keep Sparda alive and to have him be Sparda Sparda was a little awkward not to mention redundant so yeah. Poor Nero just got his heart stepped on. That's kinda scary, I hope he'll be okay. Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Please take the initiative to review now that you've read the horribly constructed first chapter.**


	2. And I Don't Want the World to See Me

**Bleed Just to Know You're Alive**

**Chapter 2: And I Don't Want the World to See Me**

**Summary:**

**Between his sister, his parents, and now Kyrie, Nero's world is crashing down around him and it just doesn't feel real. Like the song says, "when everything feels like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know you're alive." But what happens when an ambitious young Dante finds out about Nero's unstable behavior? AU! DxN**

**Warnings:**

**Nero x Dante and vice versa, if you're not into that, don't read it. Language. Cutting. Character death. Attempted suicide.**

**Author's Note:**

**Okay three things: First, after reading a couple reviews I realized that in everything I've done so far I forgot to mention some stuff. Two, (which should probably really be one) not counting this chapter, because I don't believe in interrupting a story for an informational chapter, I will not post new chapters until I get at least three reviews per chapter (three really isn't that hard to accomplish, is it?). That being said, three, (which should really be two) this story is finished. I have every chapter done and ready to post once the newest has at least three reviews. Everything's in place for this to be a completed story but whether it continues or not is up to you, the reader. To those of you who did review, thank you. To those who didn't, well, thanks for reading it but I have a quota to fill before I can post the next chapter, and I'd appreciate your help.**

**Okay, so I'm screwing with the characters' personalities a little bit. Depressed Nero; caring, attentive, and understanding Dante; kind and preppy Trish; Sci-Fi addict Lady; and hyper Kyrie. Scratch that, I'm screwing with their personalities a lot! Just as a heads up, I recognize how crappy the first chapter was and I apologize for that but I can't say this chapter will be much better. At this point I don't know what plot point to touch on next. This story is just so jumbled in my head, but I know that if I can pull it off it'll be a great story. So here's hoping, cross your fingers and wish me luck!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing here but the story and an OC or two! (that includes the song!)**

**Now, without further ado, I present to you, And I Don't Want the World to See Me!**

**-O-o-O-**

Dante, Vergil, and their freshman sister, Trish, were home alone. Their dad, Sparda, was working late and their mom, Eva, had Bunko with the other mom's in the Sunday School PA on Monday nights.

The doorbell rang and Trish got up to get it.

"Pizza delivery for Dante." Nero commented routinely as he stared at her. "I have the right house, right?" he eyed the blonde beauty uncertainly. He had reason to be unsure. Sure the pale girl shared her older brothers' enchanting blue eyes, but her goldenrod blonde hair reached past the white CHS half shirt of her cheerleading uniform and down her back.

"Dante!" she called over her shoulder ignoring his confusion, "Vergil! Pizza's here!" both of the older teenage boys came running to the door.

"Aw sick! Thanks, kid!" Dante hummed, eyeing the box hungrily and rubbing his hands together.

Vergil paid Nero as Nero turned to Dante and said, "Must you insist on calling me that? I'm only a year younger than you."

"Whatever, man! You've got the pizza, you're a god!" the junior praised taking the pizza from Nero. "Wait, what's this?" Dante questioned.

"Come on, Dante, you can harass the kid later! We need to eat before my stomach acid devours my stomach!" Vergil complained.

"Yeah, really. We paid the kid, let's eat!" Trish agreed.

"It's cool guys. Here, Verge, take the pizza and start without me. I'll be just a sec." Dante assured, grabbing the sophomore's wrist.

"I skateboard, man, I get cut up all the time." he lied calmly and expertly.

"Well you're other wrist isn't all shredded like that." Dante observed concerned.

Nero gently pulled his wrist from the other's hands and held them in an X shape, right wrist over left, to demonstrate the 'fall' and said, "I fell like this."

"Ok . . . " Dante dismissed cautiously. "Well, be more careful next time." he advised bidding the other good night and closing the door.

Nero gave a sigh of both relief and unease. He knew he shouldn't be cutting. He understood that it wasn't going to solve or cure anything. But thing's just didn't seem real anymore. He just needed to make sure that this wasn't just some horrible nightmare that he could open his eyes from and wake up in a world where everything was fine. He needed to remind himself every once in a while that things were still real; that if he cut his wrist, he'd still bleed.

-^v^-

The sophomore walked into his house that evening calling, "Hello! Anybody home?" he didn't get an answer but that wasn't unusual. He walked into the kitchen dropping his empty delivery bag at the door and turning on the light. Then he went to fridge to grab a soda and read the note on the door, _took Iris to chemo. Join us, if you have the energy, when you get home._

Nero knew it was a ploy. He technically did have the option not to go but the simple phrase 'if you have the energy' was a guilt trip in and of itself. Iris was eleven years old and the best, kindest, and most stable thing that had ever happened to Nero and even more so as of late. He adored his younger sister with all his heart and couldn't wait to see her shining face every day. She was always optimistic and full of energy and life even as the cancer tried to strip that life away from her. Needless to say; however, Nero had lost all right to be exhausted once the tween was diagnosed with cancer, or at least in his parents' eyes he had.

The teen opened the fridge, grabbed his soda, then turned around, grabbed his keys off the island, and proceed out of the house yet again.

When he arrived at the hospital, he greeted the secretary, Nevan and proceeded in finding out which room his sister's treatment was in this evening.

Nevan smiled at him. "Hey Nero, you here to see Iris?" she asked knowingly.

"Of course, why else would I be here?" he retorted exhaustedly.

"Well, I don't know. With the exhaustion on your face, you look like you could collapse where you stand. I could write _you_ in as a patient and you could spend the night here. A heads up, before you reject my offer, you might wanna. Your parents seem like they're gonna be hard to deal with tonight." she winked suggestively and lowered her voice on that last part.

"I'd love to take you up on that offer but I think I should assess the situation myself before I make any decisions." he retorted leaning on the reception counter and nodding his head in the direction of the room Iris's therapy was usually held in.

Meanwhile, the red head noticed his wrist. "Hey what happened to your wrist?" she inquired, taking his wrist in her show white hands.

Nero snapped his hand back 'nursing' his wrist, "Oh, it's nothing. Just a boarding accident. " that was his story and he was sticking to it.

Nevan's reaction was identical to Dante's. "Okay . . . " was her cautious reaction, then her eyes lit up as if she remembered something, "Nero, have you been cutting again?" she grabbed his wrist back inspecting it further. "Nero why? You were doing so well? What happened?"

He didn't grab his hand back this time but he still took the defensive. "It's nothing, Nevan! Don't worry about it." he whined quietly.

Nevan paused a moment.

"Okay. Okay," she began letting go of his hand and sitting back in her chair with her hands up in surrender. "No judgment here. It's your body, do what you want."

"Thanks," he said quietly, hiding his wrist.

"But I still wanna know what happened," Nevan persisted, concern in her ruby eyes.

He remained silent and kept his eyes away from the kind, caring, and sadly, familiar secretary.

Yes, it was a sad fact. It meant that he _and_ his family had been there too many times, that Iris had had this cancer for too long.

"Alright, tell me about your day. Ooh! How are things going with that Kyrie girl? Have you asked her out yet?" the receptionist tried in vain to drop the subject.

"Nevan, would you please just tell me where my sister's room is?" the snowy haired teen pleaded.

"No! Not until you tell me about your love life!"

Again Nero remained silent.

Then Nevan realized. "Did Kyrie cause you to cut?" she asked quietly.

"Kyrie didn't do anything," he defended with tears burning in his avoiding gaze.

"Three doors down the hall on the right. It shouldn't be hard to find, the last time I was down there your parents were yelling over something." Nevan informed softly, finally dropping it altogether.

**-O-o-O-**

**Okay, just for the record, I know next to nothing about Nevan, I just wanted to make her a good character. Poor Iris, get better sweety! With that I have to ask, if you guys have any ideas as to what cancer she might have, please tell me. What did you think of kid sister Trish? Yeah like half DMC pairing fans like Dante and Trish together but I thought since Trish was supposed to be designed like Eva that she could just look like her mom, not her dad. So please read and review guys!**


	3. The Closest to Heaven that I'll Ever Be

**Bleed Just to Know You're Alive**

**Chapter 3: You're the Closest to Heaven that I'll Ever Be**

**Summary:**

**Between his sister, his parents, and now Kyrie, Nero's world is crashing down around him and it just doesn't feel real. Like the song says, "when everything feels like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know you're alive." But what happens when an ambitious young Dante finds out about Nero's unstable behavior? AU! DxN**

**Warnings:**

**Nero x Dante and vice versa, if you're not into that, don't read it. Language. Cutting. Character death. Attempted suicide.**

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, so I got my stories straight! Yea! Aren't you just beyond excited to know what happens next? I know I can't wait. But this story's still so JUMBLED! This isn't easy. Anyway, I obviously don't know what I'm saying so I'll just get on with the rest of the introductions and leave you be.**

**Oh and one last thing! I guess though I can settle for two reviews a chapter but I'm seriously not lowering my quota **_**anymore**_**!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing here but the storyline and an OC or two! (that includes the song!)**

**And now I end my rant! Enjoy!**

**-O-o-O-**

Nero made his way to the hospital room. Nevan was right, you could tell. His parents were shouting loud enough for him to hear every word clearly half way down the hall; however, her stopped when he got to the room. He didn't want to interrupt their argument just yet.

"Well it's like a genetic thing or something right? My parents _and_ myself have clean genes so it's gotta be you!" Nero mouthed along side of his father, knowing every word to this argument.

"_My _parents! _My_ parents! _Your_ father Is nothing more than a lazy drunk that's been trying to live off of _my_ family ever since we got married!" his mother ranted as Nero lipped from the other side of the door. He'd heard this fight too many times to count. That is up to this point. However, what his father said next, threw _Nero_ for a loop.

"And what about Nero, huh? If your family is so clean blooded and fortunate why haven't you gotten him therapy yet, huh?"

"Me? Why should I help him? He's your kid! He takes after you the most!"

"Great guys, just great." Nero burst through the door. "Iris is in the next room dying and you're arguing about why? Just so you know, cancer is a cell mutation so it's neither of your faults she has it! And on top of that you're fighting about what's wrong with me? My sister's on her death bed! You all have better things to worry about than this family's dysfunction!" he joined in screaming. Tears once again welled in his eyes but this time he let them slowly fall down his cheeks.

"Son," his father began awestruck, "how could you say that?"

"Yeah baby," his mother joined in, "I mean I know it looks bad now but the doctors are saying she's making progress."

"Then why the fuck are you even fighting." he said more to himself than to his parents.

"Nero," his mother stepped closer trying to console him.

But he stepped away. "Don't. Just don't." With that he ran out of the room and somewhere he hadn't actually been to in a long time. He went to visit his sister.

-^v^-

"Hey, I." Nero greeted his younger sister who was lying in a hospital bed, yet somehow looking as energetic and lively as always. He stared at her admiringly. She was so strong. Meanwhile he cut to deal with the pain.

"Hey bro, whatcha staring at?" she asked sweetly and innocently, "And if you give me a bald joke you're as good as dead, so watch your words carefully."

Nero chuckled at her sister in genuine shock. "Why would you think I would do that?"

"No reason." she shrugged off.

"Wait, has anyone at school said anything?" Nero quieted seriously.

"No! Of course not!" she defended bubbly.

"How the hell are you always so happy?" Nero smiled.

"How the hell are you not?" the sixth grader retorted. When he didn't respond, she changed the subject, "So, how's Kyrie?" she asked suggestively.

Nero's heart wrenched, and his breath hitched. "Everything's fine with me. Nothing worth worrying about." the sophomore croaked.

"That didn't sound all to convincing." Iris mused.

"Yeah well," Nero didn't have a comeback. "Damn it you caught me off guard."

"Ooh! You said," she paused and whispered, "the _D_ word!"

"What?" he asked in disbelief. "Damn is not a bad word!"

"Yes it is! Now stop saying it before I tell Mom and Dad!"

"You're kidding, right? I just said fu-udge," he began quickly censoring his speech, "in front of both of them."

"Well fudge isn't a bad word." the eleven year old informed.

"Ooh, wait 'til Mom and Dad find out what you just said!" the sixteen-year-old teased wickedly, winking and rubbing her head.

"Hey, stop that!" she teased back, pushing him away playfully.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead, "I'm gonna head out. You comin' home tonight or are you just gonna stay here?"

"I'm probably staying here just because of how late it is." she assumed.

He looked at his watch: 10:00.

"Alright, well good night. See you tomorrow." and with that he left.

-^v^-

Dante, as we've already determined, was popular. Popular students gossip and should be kept in the loop. So, Nero found it hilarious bordering on ridiculous when Dante came into **sixth period** on Tuesday saying, "How did it go with Kyrie?"

The sophomore shook his head grimly and said, "I don't wanna talk about it."

"That bad, huh?"

Nero had to double take. He'd understand if Dante hadn't learned of his rejection within the four hours between the actual rejection and when he saw the junior again that night, but Dante didn't seem to piece together anything. He thought news traveled fast in high school, but his sister had been battling cancer for two years, he'd been cutting since the week after her diagnosis and his parents had been fighting over _everything_ for the same amount of time. His life was possibly the biggest train wreck in school, and Dante didn't know _anything_! For the love of whatever torturous higher being existed the guy's sister knew Nero cut! But Dante was clueless. Absolutely clueless.

"Yeah, it was that bad." he chuckled darkly.

"So there's a rumor going around school that you cut. What's up with that?" Dante changed the subject without really changing it. Nero facepalmed. This was taking too long. He pulled up the sleeve of his sweat shirt just enough to expose his right wrist and laid his hand in front of Dante. The junior blinked twice, astonished. "Y-you told me that was a skating accedent!" He studdered, flopping down on his stool at the lab desk.

The sophomore pulled his sleeve down again and whispered, "I lied."

The jock tried to ask why but was interrupted by the teacher walking buy their seat and saying, "No talking in class." They'd have to wait a good thirty-five minutes longer to finish their conversation.

That's exactly what Dante did. Thirty-five minutes later and once Nero got his books together for his next class, Dante _literally_ dragged Nero from the classroom and into the hall. "Why?" he demanded softly.

"Because you're clueless!" the underclassman yelled. "Because my sister has cancer, my parents are on the verge of divorce, and I just had my heart ripped out and handed to me on a silver platter in the nicest way possible and you have NO idea how it feels." he sobbed hopelessly. He ripped his arm from Dante's hold and fast tracked it to his next class. Dante stood there awestruck.

**-O-o-O-**

**OMG! Okay, so this might be writer's bias but I think Iris is my favorite character! She's so sweet! X3 I can't wait to write more on her situation! Dante is an IDIOT! How can someone by so in crowd and so out of it at the same time? Thanks for keeping with me and my horrible writing construction! Read and Review please!**


	4. I Just Don't Want to Miss You Tonight

**Bleed Just to Know You're Alive**

**Chapter 4: I Just Don't Want to Miss You Tonight**

**Summary:**

**Between his sister, his parents, and now Kyrie, Nero's world is crashing down around him and it just doesn't feel real. Like the song says, "when everything feels like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know you're alive." But what happens when an ambitious young Dante finds out about Nero's unstable behavior? AU! DxN**

**Warnings:**

**Nero x Dante and vice versa, if you're not into that, don't read it. Language. Cutting. Character death. Attempted suicide.**

**Author's Note:**

**Alright, I officially don't know what to do next. It's cool though. I think I'll just put down whatever comes to me considering that's practically how I've been writing this story anyway. And thanks for all the reviews! I feel so loved! Really short chapter I know I'm sorry. And SirenaLoreley, you're going to kill me. Now I want say anything more or I'm going to give something away but again thanks for making me feel loved. I have cookies for everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing here but the storyline and an OC or two! (that includes the song!)**

**Wish me luck as I end my rant and dive in! Enjoy!**

**-O-o-O-**

Nero walked into the hospital tears in his eyes, hands in his pockets and fresh cuts on his wrist. He couldn't help it! He knew his life was hell but this was just ridiculous! Dante was a friend, A FRIEND! Nothing more! So why did he feel like this? Why did it take Dante telling him to ask out Kyrie for him to actually do it? Why did he feel so much relief when Dante believed his skateboarding story that night? And why did he feel so guilty for cutting, no for lying, after that? Why was he so upset that Dante didn't know what was going on in his life? Why did he even care? He didn't care if anyone else knew? So why Dante? Why did Dante's disappointment in his cutting effect him so much? Why did being near him feel so good? Why did it feel so comforting when Dante actually _cared_ enough to take him aside and interrogate him on his cutting? Why did it feel nice when Dante his arm? He should be feeling this for Kyrie not Dante.

"Nero . . ." Nevan tried, softly.

"Hey." he dismissed, walking to the room his sister was in the day before. He needed to see her smiling face, to hear her bubbly voice.

Nero made it halfway down the hall when he was greeted by his distraught mother in his strong but broken father's arms.

"Nero." his mother tried to say through tears.

Suddenly Nero's face changed to one of fear and concern as worry washed over him. "What's going on? What's wrong? Where's Iris?" he began to freak.

"Honey, Iris . . ." his mom tried again, but burst into tears and hid her face in his father's shoulder.

"Son," his father began for his mother, "Your sister," he chocked, "your sister died."

His father said something after that but Nero could no longer hear. In that moment, Nero's world crashed around him.

**-O-o-O-**

**No! Iris! That sucks! Please don't kill me. *cowers behind random demon***


	5. And I'd Give Up Forever to Touch You

**Bleed Just to Know You're Alive**

**Chapter 5: And I Give Up Forever to Touch You**

**Summary:**

**Between his sister, his parents, and now Kyrie, Nero's world is crashing down around him and it just doesn't feel real. Like the song says, "when everything feels like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know you're alive." But what happens when an ambitious young Dante finds out about Nero's unstable behavior? AU! DxN**

**Warnings:**

**Nero x Dante and vice versa, if you're not into that, don't read it. Language. Cutting. Character death. Attempted suicide.**

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you all for sticking with this story! I appreciate the support. I think the chapter after this will be my last though. I don't know. We'll see. ****And you've all been so good about reviewing so I thought I'd give you something special. I stole my Latin teacher's juice boxes. So everybody gets one! X3**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing here but the storyline and an OC or two! (that includes the song!)**

**Enjoy!**

**-O-o-O-**

Nero sat in silence. The only sound around him was the warm rushing water working diligently to fill the porcelain tub. And Nero sat in silence fingering his pocket knife.

"Iris, I told you I'd see you today. So I will." the teen vowed. He shut off the water and stepped in the tub. Then he opened the knife, slit his wrists nice and deep, and sank out of his hell.

Meanwhile, Dante arrived at the hospital where Kyrie told him Nero's sister was being treated.

"Hey, where's Iris being treated?" he inquired.

"Are you a member of the family?" asked a beautiful, pale, vampire-like young women with cherry red hair and ruby eyes. "Nero never mentioned a brother."

Dante shook his head. "No, I'm a friend of his from school." he informed. "Nero told me earlier today that his sister had cancer, and another friend of his told me where she was being treated."

"Oh, well I can't let you back there, the family's grieving. Besides, there's no one to visit anymore."

Dante threw the redhead a puzzled look. "I-I don't understand. Did something happen?"

"Iris," the young woman explained with some difficulty, "Iris, passed away yesterday night."

Dante dropped the bouquet of irises he'd gotten for the eleven year old. "Where's Nero?" the junior asked quietly but urgently.

"He just left, not ten minutes ago. Probably went home." the receptionist said concernedly.

"Thanks so much for your help. I can tell you're a friend of the family's, so I'm sorry for your loss." he said quickly and ran out of the hospital leaving a heap of irises at the front desk.

-^v^-

Dante rushed to the house and burst through the front door noting aloud to himself, "Thank God, he forgot to lock the door!" but found it concerning that his barging through the door roused no response. "Nero?" the junior called. "Nero, it's Dante. Please don't do anything reckless!" he still received no response. He ran around the first floor, leaving opened doors of checked rooms in his wake. When he found nothing, he ran upstairs.

The third door Dante opened on the second floor was the bathroom. There, in the tub, Nero lie still in a pool of water and his own blood.

"No." Dante whispered. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, Nero stay with me." He rushed over to the sophomore and pulled the boy out of the tub. "Nero, you gotta stay with me man, please stay with me." Dante started to cry but realized if he were to save Nero he'd have to act. He quickly grabbed a hand towel and ripped it in half tying each half to a wrist nice and tight to try and prevent any further bleeding. Then he set him in the bed of the room he assumed was Nero's and proceeded to call the emergency room. All the while, the jock waited by the skater's side. Talking to him.

"Nero, please stay with me."

-^v^-

Nero floated in a blackness. It felt almost like he was under water but more weightless and he could breathe.

For a while, he saw nothing. Then, slowly, a face came into view: Iris's face. And as he grew more and more conscious of his surroundings, she became more and more real.

"Hey, big bro!" she greeted.

"Iris?" he breathed.

"What the Hell are you doing here?" she reprimanded, glaring at him halfheartedly.

"I-I promised I'd see you today." he stuttered weakly.

"Well you didn't need to come /find/ me. Some promises can't be kept." She floated over to him.

"Am I dead?" he asked hopefully.

She slapped him upside the head. "No, I just came to knock some sense into you."

"Ow! You know for an eleven year old with cancer, you always did have a good arm." he commented, massaging his abused skull. "Why did you leave?"

"I didn't want to. I was doing so well and making so much progress. But somewhere down the line, the chemo stopped working, and when the cancer developed passed the chemo, my body couldn't handle it." she explained.

Nero hugged his sister saying, "I'm not ready to let you go." He clung to her body tightly.

"Well, you have to. You have tons of people down there who, believe it or not, can't live without you."

"Like Kyrie?" he suggested coldly. "She wouldn't give two shits if I died."

The tween facepalmed. "Okay, first of all I think you'd find you're wrong about that. Just because someone doesn't want to go out with you doesn't mean they don't care about you, and I know Kyrie and happen to know she cares a lot more about then you might think. And second, I was thinking more along the lines of Dante?"

The once again silver haired girl gestured to her right Nero's eyes following her hand. In there middle of the blackness, a fuzzy picture formed, almost as if someone were peering at the world through almost closed eyes. But the image wasn't of the world; it was of a worried Dante hunching over something.

"Now," she started boldly, "get out there and kiss him. Go to prom or don't. Study hard, get into a good college. Get a Master's in medicine and cure cancer! Live your life, bro. You've been lucky enough to have all of it, so live it. If you can't live for yourself then live for me, your little sister who got her life taken away before she could enjoy it. And please, never try anything like this again."

"Will I ever get to talk to you?" he wanted to savor this as long as possible in case the answer was no.

"When your time comes, we'll meet again. Until then," the tween shrugged, "who knows?"

"Be careful up there," Nero warned, "there's no life after heaven, you know."

"I will." Iris sighed half heartedly.

"That didn't sound all to convincing." he said raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms like she once would have.

"Fine. I promise."

She gave him her pinkie and he hooked it with his own. They shook and with one final kiss on the forehead, Iris slowly disappeared.

-^v^-

"Kid, what did you do to yourself? You used to be such a great and cocky kid. You could handle anything. What happened?"

"I fell for you and my sister died." Nero responded hoarsely, eyes just barely open.

"Nero! You're awake! Thank God!" the junior laughed hysterically. "I thought for sure you were a goner." he elaborated wiping his eyes. Nero put his hand to Dante's face in an effort to slap him, but when that didn't work he just kept it there.

"Dante, can I try something?" the sophomore asked.

"That's kinda an odd question, but sure I guess. Why would you -" Nero interrupted him with a kiss, but swiftly pulled away out of embarrassment. And his timing couldn't have been more perfect.

"Nero, what happened to the bathroom?" his father called walking into his room, "Who the hell are you and how did you get into my house?" he said upon seeing Dante.

Dante shot up from his seat by Nero. "Arrest me!" he shouted, putting his wrists out to be cuffed. "Arrest for breaking and entering, even though the door was open and arrest me for destruction of property because I did rip a hand towel in half to help stop the bleeding. Just know though that your son's fine even though I called an ambulance because he might need a blood transfusion." the boy panicked.

"Of course my son's fine why wouldn't he be . . ." but Mr. Angelo's voice faded out the entire sentence as his gaze fell to his son lying in his bed with very bloody white pieces of towel tied tightly around each of his wrists. "Nero!" he exclaimed throwing himself at his son's side.

"Hi Dad." he said weakly lifting his head and rubbing his eye. Then, the bleeding teenager proceeded in once again passing out.

**-O-o-O-**

**Woohoo! Way to go Iris! He really needed you there! And Nero man, what the hell? Can't you see that everyone around you loves you dearly? Come on man get it together! So, tell me what you think. You've read now please review. And heads up, I think this next chapter will be my last. It's supposed to be short. Thanks for reading and see you next time!**


	6. I Just Want You to Know Who I Am

**Bleed Just to Know You're Alive**

**Chapter 6: I Just Want You to Know Who I Am**

**Summary:**

**Between his sister, his parents, and now Kyrie, Nero's world is crashing down around him and it just doesn't feel real. Like the song says, "when everything feels like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know you're alive." But what happens when an ambitious young Dante finds out about Nero's unstable behavior? AU! DxN**

**Warnings:**

**Nero x Dante and vice versa, if you're not into that, don't read it. Language. Cutting. Character death. Attempted suicide.**

**Author's Note:**

**Redemption chapter! I figured you guys had had enough of the angst so I'm giving you all a break and ending this story on a happy note.**

**Here we go! Last chapter! Final stretch! Le Grand Finale! Have fun!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing here but the storyline and an OC or two! (that includes the song!)**

**This is the end so I hoped you enjoyed! And I hope you enjoy want's left!**

**-O-o-O-**

Nero woke up in a hospital bed surrounded by five people: his parents, Nevan, Kyrie, and closest to him, Dante.

He rubbed his eyes and began to sit up, "Dante?"

"Sh-sh shh. No, don't try to get up." the jock said easing the skater back down, "You lost a lot of blood. What do you remember?"

Nero thought this over carefully. He looked Dante straight in the eyes, "Iris's dead."

Dante looked down at where he was holding Nero's hand, "Yeah." he said solemnly.

"But I-I saw her. I talked to her. I-"

"Nero," Kyrie got up from her seat in the corner of the room, "you lost a lot of blood." she reminded him gently, taking her new seat at Nero's right side considering Dante was taking up his left.

"I-I saw her. I did! She talked to me. S-she hit me upside the head. I'm not crazy! I know I did!"

The entire time, everyone in the room was trying to calm the sixteen year old down. Nothing worked until Dante said, "I believe him."

The room fell silent and everyone turned to the seventeen year old. Dante looked straight at the boy that had kissed him the night before, shrugged, and said, "I believe you."

Nero couldn't help but smirk, and Nevan came over, actually in jeans and a t-shirt. "You want us to maybe give you two a moment?" she suggested, and started ushering everyone out of the room.

Once the room was cleared, Dante suggestively asked, "Do you remember anything else?"

Nero's smirk grew to a grin as he wrapped his hand around the junior's neck and said, "yeah. This." and sealed the space the boy and himself.

. . . Three months later . . .

"Nero, how are you holding up," Kyrie race down the hall to meet him. "Here, let me see your wrists, are they healing?"

"I'm fine," Nero whined and held his wrist out for her to inspect for the fifth time that day.

Dante then emerged out of the classroom the tenth graders were passing and put his arm around Nero, "Is this girl bothering you, Babe," he asked cocking his head at their auburn friend who in turn stuck her tongue out at the eleventh grader.

The older white haired boy kissed his boyfriend on the top of the head when he spazzed out. "No, she's not. And could you please not call me /"Babe"/? It makes me feel like a girl." Nero shied away as Dante regained his hold on the smaller boy kissing him now on the cheek.

Nero blushed and turned away from his boyfriend as the junior relinquished his hold in favor of grabbing the sophomore's hand and leading him into an empty classroom on the way to lunch.

Kyrie met with Credo, Vergil, Lady, and Trish and left the boys to their own devices.

Dante spun his boyfriend around then got on one knee. "Nero I-don't-know-your-middle-name Angelo," he began as seriously as he could, "would you be my date to junior prom?"

Nero halfheartedly smacked him upside the head, "Of course, Dumbass," he said helping the junior back on his feet.

"The abuse I take from you." Dante joked, but Nero began pouting, seriously concerned. Dante laughed and kissed him. "You are so adorable when you do that." he said and he hugged his once again cocky skater boy.

"Iris spoke to me last night." the teen said on a serious note.

The jock pulled up two art stools for them to sit on, assuming this might take a while.

"And what did Iris say?" Dante encouraged knowing this was how Nero's brain coped.

"She told me that I'd found someone really special and that I should hang on to you."

Dante made no jokes. He didn't tease or belittle. He simply whispered, "Come here," hugged the boy, and listened. Because that was what Nero needed, someone to listen. To remind him that no matter how bad things in life got that just like the movies they got better, but also that this wasn't the movies, and that if he needed to cry tears would still fall. Even though it was no longer a method of proof for Nero, Dante made him feel like if he cut his wrists he'd still bleed.

**-O-o-O-**

**Well I think I wrapped that up quite nicely, don't you? Although the wording at the end there could use a little work. I don't know, tell me what you think! It's been fun but I still like reviews and thanks to all that did review! Hope you had fun and enjoyed your angst and fluff. Tear for Iris but it's been fun! Thank you all once more and I'll see you guys next time! Byes!**


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